New anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia draws praise, debate online

The upcoming TV anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia just released its first main PV. Based on the award-winning manga A Witch’s Life in Mongol, the video features the characters’ voices for the first time, and the unveiling of the cast members: Akira Sekine, Houko Kuwashima, Jun Saito, Ryota Suzuki, and Miyu Irino

Selected for the Official Competition’s TV Films Category at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026, the movie is expected to release in late July, 2026.

Produced by Science SARU and written by Tomato Soup, the main PV offers the first look at the storyline. A hopeless Sitara encounters the power of knowledge after being taken in by a scholar’s family. Here, the moment her fate changes lies in the Mongol Empire’s invasion.

Akira Sekine, who voices Satara, shared her excitement about reading the script.

“I’ll never forget the shock I felt when I first read the manga. When I was told that I had been cast as Sitara, I was overjoyed to be able to walk alongside her, but I also felt a great deal of nervousness and pressure”, she said.

Huoko Kuawashima, who voices Fatima, also shared her anticipation.

“They’re animating this?! — and I immediately knew I wanted to be involved”, she said.

The character Sitara is seen as a positive and historically grounded representation of Muslims. As a young Persian girl living in the 13th century, Sitara immerses herself in subjects such as mathematics, science, geometry, and astronomy.

While teaching young kids the importance of education, the manga is acclaimed in Japan for its detailed research into the 13th-century Middle Eastern and Mongol setting, having characters with Persian/Muslim names.

The character Fatima tells Sitara, “If you study and become wise, no matter what trouble befalls you, you’ll know the best way forward”.

Never ever in my life did I expect I would read something like this from an anime.

"Slave or not, every muslim has a duty to seek knowledge..." https://t.co/ATtLsuXiCc

— Gelar Anugerah Munggaran (@bajrul) March 25, 2026

Fans took to X to share their reactions to the trailer, with many surprised to see the representation of Islam.

“Slave or not, every Muslim has a duty to seek knowledge”, was stated as one of the dialogues of the film.

Some also questioned the use of witchcraft in relation to Islam, debating whether it is a good representation.

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia appears to be both an admired and debated animation. With its strong commitment to historical detail and Persian knowledge, the blending of themes such as witchcraft with Islamic identity has also opened debate among viewers. As anticipation for the release grows, the film stands firm as a promising work of storytelling, but also as a conversation starter about history and faith.